B-124934, AUG. 8, 1955
Highlights
PUBLIC PRINTER: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 2. YOU STATE THAT THE CONTRACTING OFFICE WAS ON NOTICE OF THE PROBABILITY OF ERROR IN THE CORPORATION'S BID OF $159.24. SINCE IT WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER TWO BIDS OF $375 AND $390 AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S ESTIMATE OF $428.85 FOR THE JOB. ADVISED THAT ITS INTENDED BID WAS $439. - WAS SUBMITTED AS ITS TOTAL BID FOR THE JOB. SINCE THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BELIEVED THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS AND SINCE THAT BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR WAS EXPLAINED BY THE BIDDER SATISFACTORILY PRIOR TO AWARD.
B-124934, AUG. 8, 1955
TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 2, 1955, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO WHETHER A BID DATED JULY 25, 1955, SUBMITTED BY HALLIDAY LITHOGRAPH CORPORATION ON JACKET NO. 349396 MAY BE DISREGARDED IN VIEW OF THE BIDDER'S ALLEGATION OF ERROR.
YOU STATE THAT THE CONTRACTING OFFICE WAS ON NOTICE OF THE PROBABILITY OF ERROR IN THE CORPORATION'S BID OF $159.24, SINCE IT WAS OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER TWO BIDS OF $375 AND $390 AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S ESTIMATE OF $428.85 FOR THE JOB. UPON BEING REQUESTED TO REVIEW THE SPECIFICATIONS AND VERIFY ITS BID PRICE, THE CORPORATION, BY LETTER OF JULY 28, 1955, ADVISED THAT ITS INTENDED BID WAS $439, BUT THAT THROUGH ERROR IN TYPING THE BID ONLY A PART OF ITS COMPUTED PRICE--- THAT ESTIMATED FOR BINDING--- WAS SUBMITTED AS ITS TOTAL BID FOR THE JOB. ITS ORIGINAL WORKSHEET SUBSTANTIATES THE ALLEGATION OF ERROR.
ACCORDINGLY, SINCE THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BELIEVED THE BID WAS ERRONEOUS AND SINCE THAT BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR WAS EXPLAINED BY THE BIDDER SATISFACTORILY PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF HALLIDAY LITHOGRAPH CORPORATION MAY BE DISREGARDED.